Exothermic reaction closed cavity low pressure dressform molding method and product produced thereby

ABSTRACT

A dress or clothing form apparatus for holding and supporting garments, comprises a shaped solid body of a polymer material having a first density. The solid body is covered by a skin of the polymer material, but of a second density greater than the first density. The skin is functionally enabled for sealing pin holes therein. The body is made using a two-part exothermic reaction in a chilled mold wherein the skin thickness is determined by the temperature of the mold and the size of the chemical charge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates generally to dress or clothing forms and more particularly to such a form with a self sealing surface.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] The following art defines the present state of this field:

[0005] Austin, U.S. D No. 429,472 describes a mannequin for promoting safety awareness.

[0006] Akers, U.S. Pat. No. 2,533,906 describes a hollow dress form shaped externally to closely simulate the external contour of the trunk portion of the human body, said dress form comprising a wall composed solely of a pliable mat of distortable material, the mat of material being porous and inherently resilient so that the wall of the form will, when distorted by application of pressure, rebound to its original shape upon release of such distorting pressure; the wall being sufficiently thick that the material itself is self sustaining.

[0007] Hiscock, U.S. Pat. No. 2,985,345 describes a dress form comprising a shell structure extending from the lower hips to the neck, a portion of said shell structure surrounding the lower hips comprising a circumferential base member extending about one-half the distance from the lower hips to the waist and consisting of a single thickness of sheet material sufficiently still to be self-sustaining but sufficiently flexible to conform to the configuration of the body, the remainder of said shell structure being made up of strips of pressure sensitive tape having a thin flexible protective layer adhering thereto, the lower portions of said tape being adhesively secured to the outer surface of said base member, and said tape strips being applied to build up a flexible shell structure at least two layers in thickness and extending to the neck.

[0008] Maze, U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,435 describes an adjustable mannequin comprising a flexible piece of foamed plastic contoured in body form and reinforced internally with flexible wire mesh, the mesh being substantially coextensive in area with the area of the foamed plastic piece, the body being divided transversely into sections and including releasable interengaging means for releasable interengaging the sections to each other, the releasable interengaging means comprising tongue and groove friction joints comprising pairs of reversely formed pieces of structural material security to the foamed plastic and dimensioned to interengage each other in friction-joint forming releation.

[0009] Quinby, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,357,610 describes a human-appearing manikin having joint movements corresponding with those of a human being comprising a body of resilient material, a skeleton structure within said body, said skeleton structure including a spinal column, a pair of transverse members extending outwardly from opposite sides of the upper portion of the spinal column for supporting the shoulder portions of said body, articulated frame elements within the arm portions of the body, and a shoulder joint between each of said articulated frame elements and said transverse members comprising a double-hinge joint connected to said transverse member and a swivel joint connected to said double-hinge joint.

[0010] Cram et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,593 describes a resiliently compressible foam plastic hollow body having the external form of an upright human female torso between the neck and hip areas, a thin walled hollow core located interiorly of the body and supporting the body at the exterior thereof, the body having multiple hollow recesses sunk outwardly into the inner side thereof facing the core and distributed over the major generally vertical extent of said body inner side enclosing the core to increase the external compressibility of the body, the body having busts and certain of said recesses being located directly interiorly of the busts whereby the bust plastic is spaced from the core, the body including inwardly directed multiple projections the inner terminals of which are bonded to the core at locations distributed over said major extent of the body inner side, said recesses being of substantial depth in relation to the overall thickness of the body at the recess locations.

[0011] Mason et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,458 describes a dress form comprising a resilient top section conforming to an upper torso of a specific size and a separate resilient bottom section conforming to a lower torso of a specific size, said sections having overlapping portions interfitting substantially at the waist line; and a girdle-like fabric material, prefitted to a user's waist and adjacent contours, encircling the waist portion of said interfitting sections.

[0012] Kazama et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,284 describes a dress form including a layered wall having the external form of the human torso and having an outer cellular layer of a thermoplastic polymeric material which ahs an elastic modulus of 500 to 10 kg/cm². The dress form is capable of faithfully reproducing the lines and relief of the human body, is light in weight, tough and shows an excellent performance for pin work.

[0013] Claas, U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,099 describes a mannequin-type display assembly for modeling clothing ensembles which includes a body form having a torso portion and a pair of shoulder portions. Each shoulder portion includes an upwardly facing shoulder top and an outwardly facing shoulder end. The shoulder ends are provided by a pair of flanges extending downwardly from the shoulder top. The body form is formed from a substantially planar sheet of impact-resistant, rubberized, acrylic material which is permanently bent in a compound curve at the shoulder portions. The compound curve is provided by bending each of the shoulder tops in a fore-and-aft direction and bending each of the flanges in a downward and inward direction relative to the shoulder tops. The body form may also include a head assembly for displaying head wear.

[0014] Goray, U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,867 describes a kit of contoured foam pads for attachment to an existing garment form with double-sided adhesive tape, in order to duplicate the shape of a person to be fitted by a dressmaker or tailor. The pads are further secured by a fabric cover of stretch material thus supporting the size and shape of the garment form to accommodate many different individuals. The pliable foam pads are held to the form by the elastic cover stretched over the form. The cover is then secured at the bottom with a drawstring. Each pad, labeled according to its appropriate position, enlarges any or all anatomical parts of the garment form. For even further flexibility, smaller pieces of foam can be attached to any of the individual foam pads to enlarge selected sections of the form. The flexibility in the sizing of an existing garment form greatly broadens the use of conventional garment forms.

[0015] Cavdek et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,429 describes a dress or clothing form including a sheet metal back to which are attached a plurality of reinforcing strips. A support rod is carried on one of the reinforcing strips and on the back. Leg supports are attached to the back to which are attached a pair of flat leg panels. Front and back molded plastic body panels are secured by fasteners to the metal back and similar molded front and back leg panels are secured to the flat leg panels. The support rod includes a large diameter portion at its top which includes a tapered surface. This surface mates with a socket on a support arm attached to a stand for supporting the form at the desired height. The stand includes telescoping members each including a rack with one member including a gas spring connected to a pinion positioned between the racks. The gas spring is arranged to essentially balance the weight of the dress form and garment so that a worker can move it up and down with little effort. A pedestal supports the stand and includes a latch means for preventing telescoping of the stand while it is being moved.

[0016] Mines, WO 99/08259 describes a mannequin comprising a translucent headshell rigidly connected to a projection assembly which is mounted on a ball-and-socket joint on the torso. The headshell is movable about three axes by a gimbaled motor.

[0017] The prior art teaches the use of dress forms including those as taught by Kazama et al with a self-sealing surface, but does not teach a solid form of the type shown herein. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.

[0019] The invention is a dress or clothing form apparatus for holding and supporting garments, and comprises a shaped solid body of a polymer material having a first density. The solid body is covered by a skin of the polymer material, but of a second density greater than the first density. The skin is functionally enabled for sealing pin holes therein. The body is made using a two-part exothermic reaction in a chilled mold wherein the skin thickness is determined by the temperature of the mold and the size of the chemical charge. It is known that prior art dress forms are generally made of an outer casing mounted on an interior structure such as a frame. In most cases, the form is hollow for lightness. The present invention, on the other hand, is not hollow, but is lightweight due to the material of construction and method of molding.

[0020] A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that provides advantages not taught by the prior art.

[0021] Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of highly efficient and simplified manufacture for low cost, i.e., one piece construction.

[0022] A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of producing a skin with self healing properties relative to pin holes.

[0023] A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of being formed in a variety of shapes to accommodate a range of needs in clothing design and construction industry.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:

[0026]FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the invention as a female form;

[0027]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof as a male form;

[0028]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view thereof; as a child form; and

[0029]FIG. 4 is sectional view thereof taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The above described drawing figures illustrate the invention in at least one of its preferred embodiments, which is further defined in detail in the following description.

[0031] The present invention is a dress or clothing form apparatus for holding and supporting garments. It is formed as a shaped solid body 40 of a polymer material having a first density, approximately 16 pounds per cubic foot. The solid body 40 is covered by a self-sealing skin 50 of the same polymer material, but of a second density, where the second density is greater than the first density. Typically, the second density, that of the skin, is approximately 60 pounds per cubic foot. The great disparity between the body weight and the skin weight provides the required benefits of producing a light weight form with a pinhole self-sealing skin capability. The skin is functionally enabled for sealing pin holes which are made during the use of the invention in industry as a dress form. It should be noted that in this disclosure, the words “dress form” are not limited in scope and purpose to that of making dresses, but is used herein as a general term for all clothing industry forms which are used to prepare clothing designs for all persons, male, female, children and potentially domesticated and circus animals, as well.

[0032] The polymer material is produced by a two-part exothermic reaction in a closed cavity mold and this process is very well known in industry so that a detailed description is not provided here. It is known to those of skill in the art. The polymer material is preferably comprised of an aromatic isocyanate combined with a polyurethane, and these components are preferably: polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate and polyol respectively. These materials are not known for fabricating dress forms and it is therefore a novel process producing a very light weight form with pinhole sealing feature in a one piece easily molded process. A further step, not previously known, and of significant benefit in the molding of a light weight dress form, is the inclusion of a small amount of water, a few percent by weight, into the chemical mixture. During the molding process the water is turned to vapor and thus produces voids within the interior of the molded part so as to reduce its weight.

[0033] Preferably, the shaped solid body resembles a human form, either adult female (FIG. 1), adult male (FIG. 2) or child (FIG. 3). This form may be of a full or partial anatomy, i.e., complete or incomplete. The figures show forms without upper limbs and head, but such might be included as well. Also, the forms may include only torso or only upper torso, or full bust, etc.

[0034] Preferably, the skin is between 100 and 120 mils in thickness, where a mil is one thousandth of an inch, as this has been discovered to provide a surface feel similar to that of the human body, is light in weight and provides a fast and long lasting self-sealing feature. As shown in FIG. 4, a horizontal section through the leg, the typical structure of the invention includes the interior of the form 40 which is a soft and relatively light weight foam material with an open cellular structure. This provides for light weight and physical strength. The outer skin 50 is of a more dense nature and does not contain open cells but provides a continuous outer surface able to replicate the appearance of the human skin anatomy with great detail. The outer skin 50 when pressed or touched, reacts in a manner that is very much like that of the human body.

[0035] The present invention further comprises a method for making the dress or clothing form described above. The method comprises the steps of preparing the closed mold adapted for receiving the polymeric chemical formulation charge and for retaining an exothermic expansion process of the chemical formulation within the closed mold. Methods are very well known in the field of this art for charging a closed mold. Upon expansion, the chemical formulation fills the mold and takes its shape so as to form the shaped solid body dress or clothing form. The method includes selecting a formulation charge volume as a percent of the mold volume, preferably, in this invention from 40% to 60% of the mold volume as has been discovered is necessary to produce an appropriate skin thickness, and then charging the closed mold with the selected formulation at the selected volume. Also, the method includes selecting and applying and maintaining a temperature to the interior surface of the closed mold, and in the present invention this is preferably between 90 and 110 degrees F. as has been discovered is required to produce the necessary skin thickness. The temperature of the mold surface and the pressure exerted on the charge as it expands to fill the mold results in a skin of a selected thickness on the shaped solid body. Preferably, the formulation includes preparing the chemical formulation to produce a two-part exothermic reaction in the closed mold and such preparation preferably includes the step of using the aromatic isocyanate combined with the polyurethane, preferably polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate as one component in the two-part reaction, and polyol as the second component in the two-part reaction.

[0036] An important step in the present method includes shaping the solid body to resemble a human form complete or incomplete anatomically and with a skin thickness of between 100 and 120 mils. Such a skin thickness in the present materials results in a fast sealing of pinhole punctures and long life without adding undue weight to the dress form product. After the dress form has been molded it is typically mounted on stands or hangers of various types as is well known in the art.

[0037] While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A dress or clothing form apparatus for holding and supporting garments, the apparatus comprising: a shaped solid body including a skin covering, the body made of an aromatic isocyanate combined with a polyurethane, the skin functionally enabled for sealing pin holes therein.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the aromatic isocyanate is polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate and the polyurethane is polyol.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shaped solid body resembles a human form.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the human form is anatomically incomplete.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the skin is between 100 and 120 mils in thickness.
 6. A method for making a dress or clothing form for holding and supporting garments, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a closed mold adapted for receiving a polymeric chemical formulation charge and for retaining an exothermic expansion of the chemical formulation within the closed mold so as to form a shaped solid body form; selecting a formulation charge volume to closed mold volume ratio and mold temperature for producing a skin covering of a selected thickness; and charging the closed mold with the selected formulation charge.
 7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of preparing the chemical formulation to produce a two-part exothermic reaction in a closed mold.
 8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of providing an aromatic isocyanate combined with a polyurethane for use as the polymeric formulation.
 9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of providing polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate as one component in the two-part reaction.
 10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of providing polyol as a further component in the two-part reaction.
 11. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of shaping the solid body to resemble a human form.
 12. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of shaping the human form as anatomically incomplete.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of cooling the mold and setting the charge so as to produce a skin thickness of between 100 and 120 mils.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the mold temperature is between 90 and 110 degrees F.
 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the charge comprises between 40 and 60 percent of the volume of the mold.
 16. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of adding water to the chemical formulation charge. 